Momesso to go it alone

Riccardo Momesso, who is to leave Sarti, cooking homemade food with his mother Lucy at his parents' farm in 2010. Photo: Eddie Jim

Hilary McNevin

Changes are afoot at Italian restaurant, Sarti, in Melbourne's CBD. After four years as executive chef and co-owner, Riccardo Momesso is moving on from Russell Place to establish his own business in Hawksburn (between South Yarra and Toorak) on the site formerly known as SOTO.

Momesso has chosen the name Valentino - his middle name - and the restaurant will be focused on his native Italian region of Calabria, “I want to cook the food I grew up with,” he says. Co-owner of Sarti, Joe Mammone, says that he and Momesso are still the best of friends and that he is yet to finalise who will replace Momesso at Sarti.